Traction-engine.



WITNESSE F. H. GRAHAM.

TRACTION ENGINE. APPLICATION 211.31) APB.19, 1907.

931,753, Patented Au 24, 1909.

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F. H. GRAHAM.

TRAOTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, 1901.

I [NVE/VTOR A TTORNEYS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

FERDINAN H; GRAHAM, EVERGREEN, COLORADO.

TBAC TIONr-ENGINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24,1909.

Application filed April 19, 1907. Serial No. 369,130.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAN H. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Evergreen, in the county of Jeiferson and State of Colorado,have invented a new and useful Traction-Engine, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to propelling mechanism for traction engines andthe like, and

- has for its principal object to provide a mechanism of simple andeconomical construction which may be readily adjusted for the purpose offorward or baclnvard prpuision, or to an idle position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a propelling mechanismin which a ratchet wheel is secured to one of the rear wheels or therear wheel axle and is engageable by an adjustable pawl that is carriedby an engine operated lever, the pawl being so mounted as to permitadjustment for either forward or backward movement with on t stopping orreversing the engine or to an idle position, so that the drivingmovement may be stopped without stopping the engine.

lVith these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafterappear, the invention consists in certain novel features of constructionand arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims, it being understood that various changes in the form,proportions, size and minor details of the structure may be made withoutdeparting from the spiritor sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings z- Figure 1 is a side elevation of atraction engine pro vided with a propelling means constructed inaccordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view ofthe same on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing theadjustment of the operating pawl for either forward or backwardpropulsion or to idle position.

Similar characters of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the seve 'al figures of the drawings.

In the drawing, the traction engine or vehicle A may be of any ordinaryconstruction and is provided with forward wheels B and rear wheels C,the latter being rigidly secured to an axle 10.

On top of the boiler or frame of the engine are arranged two engines 15,each including a cylinder 16, having a piston that is connected to apiston rod 17, the latter extending through both heads of the cylinderand being provided with two cross heads 18 and 19 adapted to suitablecross head guides. The forward cross heads 19 are connected by heads 20to the crank shaf 21 which carries as usual a belt wheel 22 from whichpower may be transmitted for the operation of agricultural machinery orfor other purposes.

livoted on the axle 10 are two levers said levers being free to swing inboth direc tions, and their upper ends being connected to the crossheads 18 by small rods 26, so that as the engine is operated, the levers25 will be oscillated. The connections are so made that as one levermoves forward the other moves to the rear, and vice versa.

Each of the levers is bifurcated and straddles a ratchet wheel that iskeyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 10, and in the bifurcatedportion of the lever is hung a double pawl 31 having teeth at each end.The pawl carrying shaft 32 is extended to one side of the lever, and isprovided with an arm 33 which may be adjusted to any one of threenotches in a quadrant 34 that is carried by lever 25. When in the midposition, both of the teeth of the pawl are out of engagement with theratchet wheel, and the levers 25 may be freely oscillated withoutstopping the movement of the engine, and without imparting anypropelling movement to the vehicle. When moved to the forward notch, theengine will operate to propel the machine forward, and when the arms 33are moved to the rearmost notch,

the engine will operate to move the machine the crank shaft 21, whilethe lovers swinging freely on the axle 10 offer but little frictionalresistance to the movement.

It will be observed from an inspection of the several figures of thedrawing that the arms 33 of the pawl 31 are reduced in thicknessthroughout their intermediate portions so that upon return movement ofthe levers 25, one end or the other of the pawl will ride over severalof the teeth of the ratchets to obtain a fresh purchase thereon, therocking movement of the pawl necessary to permit of such travel thereofover the teeth being against the resiliency of the reduced portion ofthe corresponding arm 83.

I claim 1. In mechanism for imparting continuous propelling movement totraction engines, a rear axlehaving supporting wheels rigidly securedthereto, a pair of toothed wheel's rigidly secured to the axle at pointsadjacent the supporting wheels, a pair of bifurcated levers straddlingthe toothed wheels, and pivo'tally mounted on the hubs thereof, a rockshaft carried by each of the levers, a double pawlsecured to each of theshafts constructed to propel the said trac tion engine continuouslyforwardly or rearw'ardly, aspri'ng arm carried by the shaft and movableto engage either end of the pawl with the gear or to move said pawl toan idle position, a' notched quadrant arranged to hold the lever inadjusted positi'on, a pair of alternately acting engines mounted at theupper portion of the traction engine, and each including a cross head,and cross head guides, and connecting rods extending from the crossheads to the pawl carrying levers, whereby said levers are alternatelymoved to impart continuous driving movement to the rear axle.

2. In a mechanism of the class described,

.a vehicle axle, a ratchet fixed upon the axle and formed with a hubprojecting from each side thereof, a yoke formed in the lower end of itsarms with bearings loosely receiving the said hub of the ratchet, ay'ieldable lever provided with a shaft portion journaled to rock in onearm of the yoke, a locking device for the lever carried by the saidyoke, a pawl carried 'by the shaft portion of the lever and adapted tobe rocked thereby, the said ratchet having but a single series of teeth,the said pawl being confined between the arms of the yoke and having atooth at each end, the said teeth of the pawl being both in the sameplane and in a plane with the ratchet, and means connected to the yokefor rocking the same.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

FERDINAN H. GRAHAM.

Vitnesses HENRY PowER, \VIL'LARD S. BEACH.

